19/12/2005

Kikwete's big win leaves opposition in shock

Although it was never in doubt that Kikwete would win, it is the extent of the victory that has come as a shock to the opposition. WILFRED EDWIN reports

Although it was never in doubt that Kikwete would win, it is the extent of the victory that has come as a shock to the opposition. WILFRED EDWIN reports

Chama cha Mapinduzi's Jakaya Kiwete's overwhelming victory in Tanzania's just concluded general election has left opposition political parties stunned. They now accuse the government of being unwilling to let multi-party politics thrive in the country.

It was never in doubt that the Foreign Affairs minister would win in the elections described by observers as free and fair.

At the time of going to the press, Mr Kikwete, had received 14 times as many votes as his nearest challenger in results available so far, the National Electoral Commission chairman said.

He had garnered 6,659,304 votes, said Lewis Makame, with his nearest rival, Ibrahim Lipumba, presidential candidate for the main opposition Civic United Front party, receiving 468,948 votes.

In the parliamentary vote, the ruling party has won 92 seats, the Civic United Front 13 seats and the Democratic Party, four seats, said Mr Makame.

About 16 million of Tanzania’s estimated 38 million people were registered to vote in the election. So far, officials have not given any turnout figures.

Mr Kikwete will be sworn in as the fifth President of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday this week.

Mr Kikwete collapsed while addressing supporters on the last day of campaigning last Tuesday, but within a few hours was telling reporters at his home in Dar es Salaam that he was fine and simply exhausted.

CCM has ruled the country for more than 30 years. It was expected to win, but lose seats in parliament to opposition parties that sought to capitalise on public anger over allegations of corruption.

Voters were believed to be unhappy with the ruling party’s failure to curb growing unemployment and improve living conditions for the majority of Tanzanians.

The election had been scheduled for October 30 but was postponed because of the death of Chama cha Maendeleo na Demokrasia (Chadema) running mate Jumbe Rajab Jumbe. But the polls were held as scheduled in Zanzibar, where despite an outbreak of violence, CCM carried the day.

Violence, though in a smaller scale returned to the Zanzibar last week as people cast their votes and police said that they had arrested 40 people.

For Mr Kikwete, a one-time army colonel and head of military intelligence, it was it was the end of a 10-year difficult journey to the country’s top office, which begun in 1995 when within CCM, he vied against outgoing President Benjamin Mkapa and almost won.

Judging from the strong campaigns that were mounted by the opposition before the exercise was postponed, observers and politicians alike had predicted a difficult run for the ruling party.

Just a few days before the polls, the opposition parties had declared that they would take up at least 100 seats in the more than 250 constituencies.

But they were to be disappointed. With all signs pointing at Mr Kiwete taking an early lead by the close of the first day of of voting, the opposition's confidence started waning by the hour. Even areas with strong reputations as opposition strongholds they did not make a mark.

The chairman of Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendelo (Chadema) who was also a presidential contender Freeman Mbowe said he failed to make it for the presidency due to "thuggery in politics," and that what has happened is not the wish of Tanzanians. "These results have been staged," he declared.

He said the opposition was fight-ing against the whole state machinery and not CCM alone, as it was evident at the district level where election supervisors were employees under District Commissioners. "What do you expect under this environment?" he posed.

Tundu Lissu, a lawyer and Chadema parliamentary candidate who lost has a strong message to the opposition; they must re-examine their strategies and operations if they are to survive.

"We need to revisit our political parties’ policies, practice, approach and establish where we went wrong," he said.

Conceding that at least two parties, Chadema and Civic United Front are popular, he said they lack an organisational presence in most parts of Tanzania.

Mr Lissu said money was not the issue because were it to determine winners, Chadema’s parliamentary candidate for Tarime Zakayo Wangwe would have lost. He said Mr Wangwe had no money at all and in the last five years had 10 contentious cases in court. Yet he was also competing against one of the richest CCM candidates. "He won the sit because he laid a good strategy and knew how to approach the electorate," said Mr Lissu.

After what is seen by analysts as losing both the war and the battle, some opposition candidates now accuse the state of all along "detesting multi party system."

"Our rulers have not been happy with multi-party system. They would do anything to weaken the opposition," said Wilfred Rwakatare, a CUF firebrand who lost a parliamentary seat to Khamis Kagasheki of CCM in Bukoba Urban constituency by only 186 votes.

Mr Rwakatare, also the deputy secretary general of CUF, accused the government of using the state machinery to ensure that his opponent won. "It was a very strategic move," he told The EastAfrican last week. "However, for us in the opposition, this is a lesson; we need to sit down and lay out a new strategy to deal with CCM."

Asked about the opposition's major weakness Mr Rwakatare said the opposition had all along failed to analyse not only its own strength and weaknesses, but also its political enemy’s strengths. "In the absence of this, we fail to have any strategic counter-plans."

Mr Mbowe said the present political system in Tanzania is wrong, as some political parties aonly exist to serve state interests. He however, admitted that in order for the opposition to become healthy, it needs to strengthen its grassroots network to ensure access to the rural areas where majority of Tanzanians live.

"Surely we wouldn’t blame our failure entirely on the government, as we have poor networks, vulnerable and poor resources which have, to some extent, let us down," he said.

He added that his party was planning to strengthen the quality of its leadership by grooming young leaders. This, he noted, would counterbalance the CCM "systematic scheme" to deny opposition quality leadership through intimidation.

A member of the CUF committee Hamad Rashid Mohamed told The EastAfrican in Zanzibar that the government lacked tolerance towards multi-party system and used excessive power to suppress "whatever little success it has gained."

Mr Mohamed, also a newly elected MP for Wawi in Pemba constituency said that the country’s political future was bleak "unless there exists a leadership that will be in harmony with a multi-party political system, which will consequently change CCM's attitude."

Wilbrod Slaa, former Chadema MP for Karatu, who retained his sit in last week elections, blamed CCM for "excessive use of funds as a hospitality token (takrima) during campaigns," which he said was similar to buying votes.

He accused CCM of buying his party agents in "various polling stations," who then worked against him. He added that the presence of military personnel in two Land Rovers around his constituency had also intimidated voters.